Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room
“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:7
On the first Christmas, Jesus entered a busy, preoccupied world that had no room for Him in the inn. It’s much the same today—amid the holiday rush, it’s easy to crowd out what matters most. Have you made room for Jesus and His Word in your life?
The familiar carol declares:
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing.”
Sadly, as John 1:11 says, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” Yet, one family did—Mary and Joseph—and through their obedience, Jesus, the Savior of the world, was born. God still looks for receptive hearts to plant His Word.
Jesus is called the Word of God (John 1:14), and His Word is like a seed (Luke 8:11). Seeds only grow in good soil—hearts free from distractions, hardness, and sin. Are you cultivating good soil in your heart?
In the same way that Jesus came to save the world from sin, God’s word wants to save you from destructive ways and bring you to freedom.
Receiving God’s Word
James 1:21 gives some great instruction on receiving the word. He says “...receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Let’s break that down:
1. Receive with meekness
In other words, humbly accept God’s word!
Mary’s response to the word of the Lord was, “Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). She didn’t resist, dispute, or be stubborn with God. She humbly accepted God’s word for her life.
God has some great things to say about who you are in Christ. Receive it!
God has some great things to say about how our character should be. Receive it!
God has some great things to say about His destiny for our lives. Receive it!
Trust that God knows far better than you do. His word is truth. His word is reality.
Don’t resist the truth.
Humbly accept His word for your life. Good soil is humble soil.
2. The implanted word
The Greek word for “implanted” means inborn, implanted by nature, implanted by others instruction. I believe this refers to the word of God that was planted in you at your new birth in Christ, as well as what was implanted in you by the teaching of God’s word that you have heard.
James goes on to say in 1:23-24, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” The word “natural” in Greek there is “genesis.” In other words, the face that you were born with. But in light of our conversion, it’s the face that we were born-again with.
To summarize, the word of God tells us of our new nature in Christ.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17
The word was placed in you at birth and looking at the word is like looking at your face in the mirror. It tells, or rather, shows you who you are!
(To be sure, the word tells us much more—who God is, His plan for the world, His instructions, etc. But James seems to be honing in on how the word of God tells us who we are in Christ.)
He says in James 1:25 NIV, “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
I encourage you to look intently at God’s word.
Continue in it.
Be consistent in it.
Yes, read it daily.
But more than that, look intently.
Meditate on God’s word.
Embrace your new life in Christ.
Receive what God says about you.
3. Which is able to save your souls
The Greek word for “save” is “sozo.” It means to rescue or restore to health.
Our soul is made up of our mind, will, and emotions. It’s the part of us that, as Derek Prince pointed out, says, “I think, I want, I feel.” This part of us needs transformation.
Now that we’re born again, God is doing a renovation in our souls. He is rescuing us from unhealthy thought patterns, feelings, and desires. God wants our souls to be restored to health.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
Romans 12:2 NIV
How does that happen? Humbly accept God’s word about who you are in Christ.
Resist the old ways you once lived in and embrace your new life in Christ.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Ephesians 4:22-24
Conclusion
The holidays can be full of noise and distractions, but what if you chose to pause and reflect? Spend intentional time with God through prayer and reading His Word. Create space in your heart for His truth and love.
This Christmas, let’s not let the busyness of life crowd out the greatest gift of all. Humbly receive God’s Word, let it take root, and allow Him to transform your life. Joy to the world—the Lord is here! Let every heart prepare Him room.
Question: What is one practical way you can make room for Jesus and His Word in your heart and life this holiday season? Comment below!